Minnesota Primetime MMA Preview: Lloyd McKinney vs. Kurtis Ehrhorn

The ever-growing market of mixed martial arts in Minnesota will continue to expand on Saturday night, Feb. 11, as Driller Promotions presents MMA at the Primetime Bar and Grill in Burnsville, MN.

The event features some potentially very exciting undercard amateur fights, as well as three professional fights that will headline a fun night of action. One of those professional fights will be between two of the Midwest’s best up-and-comers, as Lloyd McKinney heads back to the Twin Cities to battle Kurtis Ehrhorn at 130 lbs.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with each of these two young warriors who were looking forward to the showdown.

“I’m ready for a war,” McKinney told Bleacher Report MMA. “But I want to come out and be more patient this time around. Last time I fought, I came out more amped out, and it made me fade a bit in the third round.”

Ehrhorn agreed with his opponent, adding that he has been looking forward to this fight for quite some time.

“I have his name posted on my wall. ‘Lloyd McKinney’—I wake up and I see it every day,” he said.

Both of these fighters are great wrestlers and believe that taking their opponents to the ground and controlling them has been their best asset thus far in their careers. However, there does appear to be some disagreement as to who is the better wrestler going into Saturday night’s fight.

“I’ve heard that some people think that he’s a better wrestler. I find that to be kind of insulting,” McKinney said. “He took second in state once, I was a national runner-up in college.”

“If he tries to wrestle me, I feel that my wrestling is equal to his or maybe slightly better,” Ehrhorn said. “I’ve put a lot of focus on my standup and I think it’s going to pay off.”

Despite both being great wrestlers, McKinney and Ehrhorn believe that it’s in the standup game that the true winner of this fight will likely be determined.

“My game plan is to go in there and keep it on the feet. I’ve put a lot of focus on my kickboxing,” Ehrhorn said. “Lloyd’s a very good wrestler, like I am, so I figure if I can keep it on the feet and out-box him, that’ll be to my advantage.”

“I’m not coming out here to wrestle, I’m coming out here to fight,” McKinney agreed. “The perfect fight for me would be to come out, establish myself on my feet and shut down his wrestling. I really want to show the evolution in my hands and my standup more than anything.”

This stylistic matchup could lead to some serious sparks flying on Saturday night, so if you’re in the Twin Cities area, be sure to check out this and the other great fights at the Primetime Sports Bar & Grill in Burnsville, MN at 7 p.m. 

Tickets are $30 for general admission, table seats are $45 and VIP tickets are available for $75.

Order your tickets online now or pay at the door!